Solar Power Country

[Vic99]

Tokelau Island Chain is the first solar power country. The link below is a longer than some of the others I have read, but the BBC also carried this story. They say they've built enough solar panels and storage batteries to supply 150% of their current electric needs. Use coconuts to make biofuels to supplement other needs. Can't make this stuff up.

http://inhabitat.com/pacific-tokelau-island-chain-becomes-worlds-first-solar-powered-nation/

 

[glenncz]

there is always a story behind the story with renewable energy and "green" in general. solar is about 4x more expensive than traditional power generation. this article writes about "savings". There is no savings with solar power. the only reason individuals even consider solar power is because the gov't subsidizes the majority of the cost. no sane single individual would consider a savings when using something that is 4x more (at least!) more expensive than what they are already using. and we are not even factoring the batteries in here. So yes, there is no Santa Claus, somebody made this stuff up. keep dreaming though, it feels good!

 

[WhitePine]

there is always a story behind the story with renewable energy and "green" in general. solar is about 4x more expensive than traditional power generation. this article writes about "savings". There is no savings with solar power. the only reason individuals even consider solar power is because the gov't subsidizes the majority of the cost. no sane single individual would consider a savings when using something that is 4x more (at least!) more expensive than what they are already using. and we are not even factoring the batteries in here. So yes, there is no Santa Claus, somebody made this stuff up. keep dreaming though, it feels good!

I have to wonder if you read the story. It's an extremely remote pacific island chain, which doesn't have an airfield or even a dock. It must have been a nightmare getting the diesel there. Solar would not only provide reliable power at what is undoubtedly a lower net cost than running diesel generators, it also would provide it in a manner that is less dangerous to life an limb than transloading thousands of gallons of fuel onto an island that doesn't even have a dock.

By the way, I spent several years working and living off of 24/7 diesel generator powered electricity, some of it in very remote locations which required the fuel be flown in. Trust me on this, solar is a big step up from that.

 

[begreen]

It's a good idea, though replacing 1344 batteries every 5 yrs is going to be fun. I hope they get their ROI before rising seas make the atoll uninhabitable.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Looks like paradise